(F₅) has property (T)

In this paper, the authors show that the automorphism group of the free group of rank \(5\) has Kazhdan's property (T). Let \(F_n\) be the free group of rank \(n\), and \(\Aut F_n\) the automorphism group of \(F_n\). The group \(\Aut F_2\) does not have Property (T) since \(\Aut F_2\) surjects onto \(\mathrm{GL}(2,\mathbb{Z})\) which does not have Property (T). For \(n=3\), the fact that \(\Aut F_3\) does not have Property (T) is obtained from independent works of \textit{J. McCool} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 106, No. 2, 207--213 (1989; Zbl 0733.20031)], and \textit{F. Grunewald} and \textit{A. Lubotzky} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 18, No. 5, 1564--1608 (2009; Zbl 1175.20028)]. For \(n=4\), the problem is still open. The results of the paper are remarkable from the viewpoint that the authors gave a new group which has property (T), and gave the possibility that the automorphism groups of free groups have property (T) in a stable range. Indeed, it has turned out to be correct. The authors pointed out that this work plays a crucial role in the proof of property (T) for \(\Aut F_n\) for \(n \geq 6\) by \textit{M. Kaluba} et al. [Ann. Math. (2) 193, No. 2, 539--562 (2021; Zbl 1483.22006)]. Set \(X^{\pm 1} := \{ x_1^{\pm 1}, \ldots, x_n^{\pm 1} \}\). For any \(a, b \in X^{\pm 1}\) such that \(a \neq b^{\pm 1}\), let \(E_{ab}\) be the automorphism of \(F_n\) defined by \(a \mapsto ab\). This kind of automorphism is called a Nielsen automorphism (or transvection) of \(F_n\). Let \(\rho : \Aut F_n \rightarrow \mathrm{GL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) be the homomorphism induced from the abelianization of \(F_n\), and \(\mathrm{SAut}\,F_n\) the preimage of \(\mathrm{SL}(n,\mathbb{Z})\) by \(\rho\). It is called the special automorphism group of \(F_n\), and is of index \(2\) in \(\Aut F_n\). Let \(S\) be the set of all Nielsen automorphisms of \(F_n\). \textit{S. M. Gersten} [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 33, 269--279 (1984; Zbl 0542.20021)] gave a finite presentation for \(\mathrm{SAut}\,F_n\) with generating set \(S\). In the present paper, the authors show that \(\mathrm{SAut}\,F_5\) has property (T) with its Kazdhan's constant with respect to \(S\) is greater than \(0.18\). As a corollary, the authors show that \(\Aut F_5\) and the outer automorphism group \(\mathrm{Out}\,F_5\) have property (T). The epoch-making method to prove property (T) for \(\mathrm{SAut}\,F_5\) was originally forseen by the third author of the paper, in [J. Inst. Math. Jussieu 15, No. 1, 85--90 (2016; Zbl 1336.22008)]. Furthermore, the method in [\textit{M. Kaluba} et al., Ann. Math. (2) 193, No. 2, 539--562 (2021; Zbl 1483.22006)] cannot apply to prove it. Namely, the proof of the paper is the only existing proof of the case \(n=5\). Therefore, together with the works in [loc. cit.], the author's significant works will go down in history of the study of the automorphism groups of free groups.

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